Pool-ball rack and score-board.



J. E. GLASCOCK.

POOL BALL RACK AND SCORE BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 21. I9I5.

1,192,184. Patented July 25,1916.

75. Aomvfr.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIeE.

JASPER E. GLASCOCK, OF GREENFIELD, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. LACY, OF GREENFIELD, INDIANA.

POOL-BALL RACK AND SCORE-BOARD.

Application filed October 21, 1915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JASPER E. GLASCOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Hancock and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Pool-Ball Rack and Score-Board, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersl and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to a combination apparatus that is designed to be used in a room or parlor, near a pool table on which toplay games of ball pool, for holding the balls that are used in playing the games, and for keeping the scores of the players.

An object of' the invention is to provide a pool ball rack of improved construction and having means for conveninently keeping account of the points made by the players of the games; a further object being to provide an improved ball rack of such construction as to permit rapid removal of the balls therefrom and reliably prevent the balls from accidentally rolling out of the rack.

lVith the above-'mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in a ball rack provided with improved means for holding or discharging the balls, and having a score board combined therewith; the invention consisting further in the novel parts, and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the combination appliance as preferably constructed and holdingr fifteen balls; Fig. 2 lis a horizontal section approximately on the line A-A on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a Vertical section approximately on the line B-B on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary Section of parts of the appliance on the line O O on Fig. 3; Fig. is a vertical section partially broken away on the line D-D on Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of the Score board portion of the appliance on an enlarged scale; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section, as on the line A-A on Fig. 1; and, Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device which is preferably provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Serial No. 57,17

for controlling the discharge of the balls from the rack.

On the several figures of the drawings, like reference chaarcters indicate corre` sponding elements or features of construction referred to.

The improved structure comprises a frame consisting` of a bottom 1, a back board 2 secured to and extending upward from the bottom and also beyond the plane of one end of the bottom, a side panel 3 secured to the back board beyond the bottom and extending upward from the plane of the bottom, a side panel 4 secured to the opposite end of the bottom and to the opposite edge of. the back board. Preferably the side panels extend upward to a plane above the top of the back board, and a top 5 is secured to the tops of the panels, a horizontal floor G being arranged below the top and secured to the side panels and to the upper portion of the back board Q. The frame comprises also a vertical partition 7 that is arranged at a suitable distance from the side panel 3 to permit the passage of the balls downward between the panel and the partition, the partition being secured to the back board and to the adjacent end of the bottom 1 and also to the floor G. The partition has a suitable number of circular apertures 8, 8, therein spaced apart one above another through which to discharge the balls; also, a front panel 9 secured to the front portion of the bottom 1 and the side panels and having a slot 10 extending upward from its loweredge to receive an olierating-shaft, a journal box plate 11 being secured to the front of the panel and having a journal bearing 12 therein for supporting the operating-shaft. The frame comprises also a front panel 13 secured to the top 5 and the floor 6 and also to the upper portions of the side panels, one end portion ofthe panel having a drawer 14 arranged therein that is supported upon the door 6. The frame has a front panel 15 that is secured to the side panel 3 and extends therefrom a suitable distance beyond the partition 7 and secured to the latter and also to the panel 9, and with the latter forming a front closure for the passageway for the discharge balls. The panel 15 is designed to constitute a score board, as will further appear. The frame has also a relatively narrow front panel 16 that extends from the panel 9 to the panel 13 and is secured thereto and to the forward edge of the panel l.

A suitable number of shelves for supporting` the balls are mounted in the frame so as to be hingedly supported at one end, preferably by means of two supporting bars 17 and 1S xedly secured to the inner side of the back board and the panel 16 adjacent to the rear side panel 1, the shelves 19, 19, being connected at one end to the bars by means of pivotal devices 2O and 21. 'Ihe shelves are spaced apart suliiciently to receive one of the pool balls between two shelves, each shelf having a longitudinal channel 2Q in its upper side to guide the balls and prevent them from rolling laterally from the top of the shelf. The shelves extend approximately from the side panel 4 to the partition 7, and in order to support and control the forward ends of the shelves two coupling rods 23 and Q1 are provided and arranged on opposite sides respectively of the shelves adjacent to the inner side of the partition and connected to the adjacent end portions of the shelves by means of pivotal devices Q5. rI`he coupled ends of the shelves may be lowered until the lowermost shelf rests upon the bottom 1 or a stop block 2b' which. being made of suitable thickness, is secured upon the bottom. In such position the shelves are all inclined and their lower ends are slightly above the bottoms of the apertures S to permit the balls to roll from the shelves through the apertures. In order to raise and support the coupled ends of the shelves so that the shelves shall be approximately horizontal an operatingshaft Q7 is provided and arranged in the journal bearing` 12 and extends adjacent to the top of the bottom 1, being provided with a crank arm QS on its inner end that has a crank pin 29 thereon extending under the lowermost shelf in proximity to the coupling rods, the crank arm 28 being of suitable length to raise the shelves to horizontal position as the crank arm is moved to upright position. The crank pin Q9 preferably is connected to a crank arm 30 which has a journal 31 that is rotatably mounted in the box 32 secured to the bottoni 1 adjacent to the back part 2 so as to steady the operating-shaft, the latter preferably being further steadied by means of a guide 33 connected thereto and secured to the bottom 1 adjacent to the crank arm 28. The outer end of the operating-shaft 27 has a crank arm 31 thereon that extends adjacent to the front of the panel 9 and has a handle 35 thereon. A stop device 3G is secured to the panel 9 to support the crank arm 34 when the crank arm QS is moved to upright position. The pool balls 37 when placed upon the shelves are retained thereon by the rear side panel l and the partition 7, there being insutlicient space left in the apertures S above the planes of the shelves in normal position to permit passage of the halls through the apertures. The lower portion of the forward side panel 3 is provided with a hanger 3S on which to support the handle of a basket 39, so that the basket shall hang under the passageway for the discharged balls and quickly receive the balls when a new game is contemplated.

The front of the front panel 1G has numerals l0, 41, thereon adjacent to the shelves to be chosen by the players for identifying the shelves appropriated by them to hold the balls pocketed by the players, in some cases the balls being counted to determine the winner of the game.

11 score board is provided to enable the players to keep an account of the points made when a large number of points may be involved in determiningr the winner or relative standing of the players; and for this purpose the panel 15 has a large number of pin holes therein arranged in vertical rows, as 1Q, 13, at the top of which are numerals Il, l5, for identifying the players and the rows appropriated by them. A suitable number of pins 46 and 17 are provided which are insertible in the pin holes, the latter heilig spaced efpii-distantly apart in the vertical rows and thus are arranged also lin horizontal rows at the beginning of which numerals 1.8, 19, are placed on the score board for indicating the number of points scored by the different players.

In playing a game on a pool table having pockets the players endeavor to drive the balls into the pockets, each player endeavoring to obtain the greatest possible number of balls by pocketing them. rIhe balls are removed from the pockets and placed upon the proper shelves appropriated by the different players, and in some cases simply the balls are counted to determine the winner. Then a different system for determining the winner is adopted the pins 46, a supply of which may be kept in the drawer 14, are inserted in the proper pin holes in the rows appropriated by the players. The number of points made by the different players may readily be ascertained by reference to the numbers opposite the horizontal rows in which the pins appear. When placing the balls on the shelves they are simply placed upon the forward portions of the shelves and pushed back into the channels where they remain, the structure being suitably supported so that the shelves are approximately horizontal. Then the balls are required for playing the game, the basket 39 being hung in proper position, the crank arm 34 is turned over so as to carry the crank pin 29 downward and lower the coupled end portions of the shelves which causes the balls to roll by the force of gravity from the inclined shelves and through the apertures in the partition 7, the balls dropping through the passageway into the basket to be carried to the table and placed thereon as required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. A pool ball rack including a frame, -a plurality ,of shelves hingedly supported at one end in the frame, a partition in the frame at the opposite ends of the shelves and having apertures therein, an operating-shaft mounted in the frame under and in adjustable relation with the lowermost one of the shelves for adjustably supporting the free end thereof relative to the adjacent aperture in the partition, and a coupling rod having pivotal connection with all the shelves adjacent to the partition.

2. A pool ball rack including a frame comprising a bottom and tvo side panels and also a vertical partition arranged between the panels relatively closeto one of the panels, the partition having apertures therein; a plurality of shelves hingedly supported at one end adjacent to the opposite one of the side panels and extending approximately to the partition, a coupling bar adjacent to the partition and having pivotal supporting connection with all the shelves, and a crank shaft mounted rotatively in the frame below the lowermost one of the shelves and normally supporting the coupled ends of the shelves on planes above the bottoms of the apertures in the partition.

3. A pool ball rack including a frame l1aving a vertical partition therein and also a bottom extending from one side of the partition, the space on the opposite side of the partition being clear, a plurality of shelves hingedly supported at one end in the frame at a distance from the partition, two eoupling rods pivotally connected to opposite sides respectively of the shelves adjacent to the partition, and an operating shaft rotatively mounted upon the bottom of the frame and having' two crank arms thereon, one of the arms being under the lowermost one of the shelves for raising or lowering the coupled ends of all the shelves, the other one of the arms extending opposite to the front of the frame.

4.. A pool ball rack including a frame comprising a bottom, a back beard secured to the bottom and extending laterally beyond one end thereof, a side panel secured to the back board beyond the end of the bottom, a side panel secured to the opposite end of the bottom and to the back board, a partition secured to the back board and to the first-mentioned end of the bottom and having a plurality of apertures therein; a plurality of shelves hingedly supported at one end adjacent to the last-mentioned side panel, two coupling rods adjacent to the inner side of the partition and pivotally connected to the opposite end portions of the shelves, and means mounted on the frame for supporting and raising or lowering the coupled end portions of the shelves.

In testimony whereof, I alliX my signature presence of two witnesses.

JASPER E. GLASCOCK. lVitnesses:

E. T. SILVIUs, M. E. SPARRow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

